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Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Florida Vietnam Vet battles to build American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial

Vietnam vet from Fort Lauderdale battles for national Disabled Veterans Memorial

By Mike Clary, Sun Sentinel
8:06 p.m. EDT, May 2, 2011


FORT LAUDERDALE— When Marine Corps 1st Lt. Jim Patrick came home from the Vietnam War in 1966, he had a Bronze Star, a Purple Heart and a shattered right knee that would give him 40 years of physical pain. But he did not think of himself as disabled.

"I was a Marine," said Patrick, 70, a family counselor for the Broward schools. "I was just glad to be alive, and I was glad to be back in the world."

In recent years, however, Patrick has embraced his dual identity. He is both a decorated warrior afflicted with chronic joint pain and post traumatic stress disorder, and an activist for a cause much bigger than his own recovery.

The American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial, an $86 million project scheduled to open in Washington, D.C., in November 2012, promises to become a national landmark. It will also serve as a tribute to more than 3 million living, disabled American veterans.
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Disabled Veterans Memorial

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